added RAM, now boots very slow

"Robert Anderson" rlanderson@NOSPAM wrote in message
...

I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try
again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

--
Robert Anderson



I am not familiar with e-machines but is there a quickboot or the like
setting in the bios? - is it slow because it is counting tha ram?

Robert Anderson wrote:

I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often
stalling on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it
off and try again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

Probably because the cache doesn't work on the upper 64 megs,
resulting in heavy thrashing of the virtual memory system. Cu
reduce the memory to 64 megs or get a suitable mother
board/chipset.

--
Chuck F ) )
Available for consulting/temporary embedded and systems.
http://cbfalconer.home.att.net USE worldnet address!

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 09:29:37 -0700, "Robert Anderson"
rlanderson@NOSPAM wrote:


I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

It might help to have more details of the system, whatever you can
offer like CPU, motherboard, type of memory, etc.

It could be something as simply as your network cable coming partway
out of the NIC, and now the system waits for a DHCP server that is
nowhere to be found while the cable is loose... we need more detail of
the situation.

In general, any suspected memory issues might be checked first by the
bios, to see if all the memory is reported, and by it's memory-check
feature, but a much better test is memtest86:
http://www.memtest86.com


Also, if your bios is set to manual memory timings you might try "SPD"
or "Auto" instead, or if it's already on one of those two, try manual
settings and specify slower timings (larger numbers) if these choices
are available. I'd run memtest86 for at least a couple hours though,
but even longer if the system/data is important.

Dave

I would check all your cables and make sure that they are completely seated.
My father-in-law had the exact same problem and the problem was that he had
bumped his mouse loose while upgrading the memory.

"Robert Anderson" rlanderson@NOSPAM wrote in message
...

I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try
again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

--
Robert Anderson

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 09:29:37 -0700, "Robert Anderson"
rlanderson@NOSPAM wrote:


I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

I'm new here but it might help if you used a small prog called 'boot
log analyzer'. It's freeware and a very helpful little utility.

It tells you what is slowing down (or failing) the Windows boot-up
and might point you towards what is causing the problem.

If you went from 32 to 128 it sounds like a very old system and if you
put the wrong memory in I don't think it would boot at all, so it
sounds like a software issue.

Check the bios, check the windows boot. All my slow boots in the past
were due to bad drivers.

If I'm wrong hopefully someone else will help you.

You're right about the 64M tag limit, but it won't cause thrashing. Think
about it: it's a buffer between the memory and the CPU. It's just gonna make
it drag silently.

--
I believe in having an open mind,
but not so open that my brains fall out.

More info please if you can. Motherboard brand and model, chipset too, kind
of ram (SDRAM or old 72 pin?), what size did you have and what did you add,
CPU.

First the new RAM may be bad or you have mismatched new and old. How did
you get 128 mb ram??? Did you toss the 32 mb and put in 128 mb or ad in 32
mb + 64 mb?? You might have to move the ram around to match it. I found
some sockets in older don't like putting PC-66 and PC100 together in
adjacent sockets.

There is the caching problem as others have mentioined but that should not
be that big a problem.

Also, you system could be searching for a network device if you have a LAN
card installed. Did you make that kind of change at the same time? The LAN
card could spend 30-45 seconds searching for a connection and time out then
continue booting.

"Robert Anderson" rlanderson@NOSPAM wrote in message
...

I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try
again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.

--
Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson wrote:


I have an e-machine running windows 98.

At any rate, I upgraded from 32 MB RAM up to 128 MB RAM.

Since the upgrade the machine has been very slow to bootup, often stalling
on the Windows 98 splash screen. I often have to turn it off and try
again.

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot and fix this problem? Thanks.



Try going to 64 meg and see how it works... Some old systems work MUCH
slower when you go over 64meg. Might be the wrong type of memory as well?
--

Stacey